Butler series SSTOs - updated 26/08 - new multipurpose "Infinirange" Mk3 size craft

[Signo]

The UDrillB is the last byproduct of my cargo liners family.

It relies on a slightly modified UB design to house a full drilling and refinement equipment and a complete scientific experiments set, lab included.

Room for 8 kerbals, 2 rovers and a polar ore scansat are included.

251 parts (2 rovers and scansat included) - 183 parts "naked" (no extra vehicles) - 174 parts "barebone" (no vehicles, no science instruments, no lab)

weight @takeoff: 190.3t with full configuration

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The craft is heavy and hard to master but it handles pretty well at both low and supersonic speed and can manage landings on the bumpy tracks you could find on Laythe. There is a small loss of both yaw authority and kinetic energy between 5500m and 8500/going supersonic but it is easy to overcome with a few extra corrections.

It is very important before taking off to control the craft from the RGU RC-001S just behind the front "nosecone", otherwise the navball will not display the correct informations.

At take off pitch 14° and keep that attitude till 8500. At 8500 pitch down to 8° to get trans sonic. Watch the fireworks and let it go till 18000, manage your pitch accordingly to your speed (it can manage speeds over 1400m/s in air breathing mode but it might be better to switch to closed cycle in an early stage to save fuel), I usually take off the whips at 21k, then I switch raps to closed at 24k. Usually I add the NERVs too for a small but sensible extra kick to orbit. You will reach a 100Km Ap at around 2250m/s when your Ox will be out leaving you with approximately 6000U of LF to reach your next refueling destination.

There are 1800 ore stored in the craft at take off, I usually start refining them to LF as soon as the craft reaches mach 1 to exploit the extra electricity produced by whiplash engines alternators, avoiding the use of the fuel cells till a later stage to save resources.

To land vertically just extend the assist tail gear and treat it like your average lander, managing height and descent speed as usual, just remember it is quite big and it needs rapiers to land proficiently on the bigger airless bodies (Vall included). Never tried Tylo but theoretically it should be possible to do that too.

When landing like that, just bump on your tail gear to the correct parking position.

The ore polar scansat is RCS propelled and recoverable after each use.

Rovers are 2-seaters, with an almost complete science set plus a surface biome ore scanner. Just release their docking port to drop them on the surface ready for duty. Unfortunately they are unrecoverable at this stage.

The craft can give a better user experience to its pilots if used with fuel balancing and intake managing mods.

1) Toggle Raps

2) Switch mode

3) Toggle NERVs

4) Toggle Whips

5) Toggle Drilling set up (ISRU must be manually managed)

6) Toggle Intakes

8) Toggle cargo bay 2 (ore scansat deployment must be manually managed)

0) Toggle vertical landing tail gear

You can download your UDrillB here.

Many thanks to Nansuchao for testing and hints.

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OmegaButler is the bigger and the faster of the Butlers by now. Up to 75t payload to LKO and added range to reach Duna/Ike with a lighter 35t payload.

The design relies on a scaled up UberButler concept. G limit is 8.8 but it is clearly not meant as a high performance fighter.

Ascent profile is a UberButler analog, so please forgive the absence of a video.

164 parts

weight @takeoff: 174.189t

max payload: up to 75t

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Action buttons:

1) Toggle Raps

2) Switch mode/toggle intakes

3) Toggle NERVs

8) Toggle cargo bay

Get your Omega here

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The Butler family grows with a Mk3 size cargo, the UberButler. Up to 40t payload to 100x100 LKO and the range to bring smaller payloads up to 26t to Mun/Minmus low orbit .

The craft comes with a performance set on par with its smaller sibling and comparable ascent profiles.

108 parts

weight @takeoff: 122.1t

payload: up to 40t

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Action buttons:

1) Toggle Raps

2) Switch mode/toggle intakes

3) Toggle NERVs

8) Toggle cargo bay

Here you can get your Uber LKO Butler.

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The Butler is a fully reusable Mk2 size SSTO blended wing body that can ferry and carry up to 6 kerbals and/or up to 13.5t cargo to a comfortable 85x85 orbit. (the album shows a former version)

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version .1

62 parts

Weight @takeoff: 52.3t

payload: up to 13.5t

Action buttons:

1) toggle engines/start fuel cell

2) switch mode/toggle intakes

8) toggle cargo bay

Below a video of a common ascent to LKO, the bay was empty during the shot. With a full 13t load you may want to pitch 15° at takeoff till 8000m, then pitch 10° to go supersonic and keep that attitude till 18000m or until your desired switch speed. The craft can hold surface speeds above 1300 m/s @20000m

Here you can download your personal LKO butler.

Even the best of butlers may need help sometimes, so this butler comes with no comm devices, no science instruments and a docking port but neither rcs thrusters nor monoprop (I use rcs tugs on my stations).

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If you like it, rep it!

Edited August 27, 2015 by Signo
new craft

[selfish_meme]

Um, what makes it a flying wing? I see lots of fuselage.

[Signo]

Next time I'll refer to it as "blended wing body". Sounds good to you?

[selfish_meme]

Sure, about as accurate

[Signo]

A small bump to tease for the upgrade. Cheers.

[Signo]

Bump due to new craft.

Cheers.

[Signo]

Bump due to new craft.

Cheers.

[Zucal]

Hey! I was just wondering how you got those to reenter because the FAT-455 wings have such a low heat tolerance. Mine blow up every time.

[Signo]

Hi, well to be honest they are working pretty well during reentry. I never had a single issue due to wings overheating. I will make a small video of an average re entry cause I think it would be better than a thousand words.

EDIT: video below, temp gauges were on. Proper descent starting around 2.20

Edited August 26, 2015 by Signo
Video